In the new creation of the Akram Khan Company, one of the world's most innovative dance companies, past and present intertwine in a journey through tradition to pay homage to ancestors, drawing on the ancestral power of rituals.
Imagined as an annual gathering, the show stages a tribe of women who, for one night only, come together to awaken the spirit of those who came before them. Through ceremonies and shared memories, time is suspended and recomposed in a profound gesture of renewal.
Anglo-Bengali choreographer Akram Khan - winner of the Laurence Olivier Award for Excellence in Dance (2019) - draws inspiration from the many cultures around the world that still cherish and practise these sacred rituals. The set design and costumes bear the signature of award-winning Saudi artist Manal AlDowayan and accompany a reflection on the resonances of a past marked by colonisation.
Thanks to an international all-female cast, between contemporary dance and Bharatanatyam (one of India's oldest and most renowned classical dance forms), Thikra weaves a narrative that is both universal and deeply intimate. Through this powerful creative alliance, the performance invites us to reflect on our roots and the rituals that have shaped the humanity we share.
